Thursday, 30 July 2015

"Pej "in Konkani means rice cooked with lots of water which becomes starchy,but the starch is not drained instead eaten along with it just like a soup.Hence this dish gets its name as 'pej upkari'.Some call it thoy too.It can be also made with potatoes just replacing taro/arbi instead.Alva Mande is the Konkani name of the vegetable.

A simple and easy accompaniment that can be had with rice which is nothing but soupy colocasia/taro.It is simple ,yet tasty and perfect for a lazy day.Taro/arbi is a rich starchy root vegetable yet high in fibres and can boast of several minerals and is gluten free.There are other ways of cooking this root vegetable...will post a dry masala subzi in my coming posts.In North India taro is deep fried and added to gravies,which iam yet to try as deep frying is something I do not prefer much,but have to try it out just for the sake of relishing.

Take the chopped colocasia add salt to taste and water as mentioned above in a pressure cooker and cook for 5 minutes(i.e.,when the first whistle is about to begin switch to low flame and cook for 5 minutes)

Take the pressure cooked contents in a soup pot.

With the back of a laddle just mash a few colocasia chunks in the pot.

In a small seasoning pan heat oil.

Add mustard,once sizzles,add urad daal,broken red chillies,curry leaves and finally asafoetida(if using in diluted form then add it to the boiling pot)

Tuesday, 28 July 2015

"Kulith" is nothing but a Konkani term for horsegram/kulthi.Koddhel" means a curry that is having the basic coconut,tamarind and red chillies masala,a little spicier than other curries like ambat and ghashi and it is always seasoned with browing crushed garlic in oil.This curry can be made with beans like rajma(kidney beans),whole tuvar(pigeon peas),Tingalavro(navy beans/northern beans) and so on.It can also be made with vegetables like raw banana and Sambhar/Mangalore Cucumber.This dish is authentically Konkani stuff and happens to be one of the favourites in Amchi homes and usually a Saturday special(as horsegram is preferably eaten on Saturday).A permutation and combination of seasonal vegetables are applied in this curry.The basic kulitha kodddel will have only horsegram and any one of the vegetable(sambhar cucumber,banana stem,chinese potato,malabar spinach,bamboo shoot).Here I have used jackfruit seeds,bilimbi(which is a sour vegetable),tender raw jackfruit chunks and a little spinach and a few stems of it.Ingredients:Horsegram 1/2cupJackfruit seeds(optional) 6-8(crushed a little)Tender jackfruit chunks(cooked) ,or use canned ones 10-12Bilimbi/tree sorrel/bimbul 2-3Fresh Malabar Spinach,chopped 1cup(with a few tender stems)Salt to tasteFor Masala:Fresh grated coconut 3/4cupRed chillies(roasted) 5-6Tamarind pea size(if not using bilimbi/bimbul)For seasoning:Oil 1tbspCrushed garlic flakes 8-10Method:

First clean the horsegram as it may have tiny sand,stones or some weed that looks similar to the horsegram.(discard anything other than horsegram)

Wash and soak it for 8-10 hours.

Take the soaked horsegram,the jackfruit seeds,stored ones(if using)in a pressure cooker with 2-2.5cups of water.

Pressure cook for a whistle then cook lowering the flame for another 20 minutes(this makes the horsegram soft and nice),if using fresh jackfruit seeds then place in a separare bowl and after 5-10 minutes of pressure cooking take it out and pressure cook horsegram for further 10 minutes.

Drain in a colander,saving the water for further cooking purpose.

Make the masala using coconut,chillies and tamarind(preferably using the pressure cooked water).

In a soup pot add the chopped spinach,tender stems,bimbul(if using)and bring it to boil with the pressure cooked water,cook till soft and then add the horse gram,boiled jackfruit chunks,and salt to taste and bring to a nice boil.

Add the prepared masala ,adjust the consistency using reserved pressure cooked water and boil for another few minutes till the raw flavour of masala fades.

Meanwhile in a small saucepan heat oil and roast crushed garlic to a nice golden colour and pour this into the curry.

Tastes heaven when served with rice and happens to be amchis favourite.

Note:Use of tamarind may be skipped if bilimbi/bimbul is used.Bilimbi/bimbul/tree sorrel-

Tuesday, 21 July 2015

Kolmbho is a Konkani name for sambhar.Piyavu means onion in Konkani.This is a lentil based dish that is cooked with tamarind pulp,vegetables and masala powder freshly made by roasting and blending spices.This is inseperable part of South Indian cuisine.It serves as an accompaniment with idli,dosa and rice.Again there are umpteen number of recipes when it comes to sambhar.There are a wide variety of ready powders available in stores.It can be even made at home with toasting and roasting spices which needs a little time and patience.There are innumerable recipes when it comes to sambhar and varies from person to person.I too prepare sambhar in 2-3 different ways(difference is in the proportion and contents used in the spice mix)and always prefer making it fresh.Here I present one of my versions of sambhar with freshly roasted and grounded spices that is loved by my family members.Here I have tagged it as tomato and onion sambhar which may sound strange as in our community sambhar means mix of many veggies and need not be specified even if only two vegetables are used.Iam inspired by the south indian way of saying radish sambhar,drumstick sambhar where tomato and onion are constant and only one vegetable is used which highlights the name...so here I go with tomato onion sambhar!!!!

Heat a tava(i use my cast iron chapathi tava)add little oil,once heated set to low flame and roast chillies to crisp without burning them.set on a plate.

Add coriander seeds and roast just till the aroma is felt(over roasting will change the flavour of sambhar)set aside.

Add jeera roast till it crackles,set aside

Add methi roast till colour changes/crackles,set aside.

Add the peppercorns and crushed garlic and switch off the flame.

When the spices are moderately cool blend to a powder(need not be extra fine)

Preparing Sambhar:

Wash and pressure cook the tuvar daal(split pigeon peas)with 1.5cups of water,pinch of turmeric and a drizzle of oil to 1 whistle then lowering the flame and cooking more 5 minutes.

Soak tamarind in a tbsp of water and squeeze well to get a thick pulp.

Dilute the sambhar powder with water to form a paste.

In a soup pot add take the peeled whole small onions,tomatoes and add a cup of water bringing it to boil

When the onions are tender add jaggery,salt to taste,tamarind pulp,turmeric powder,asafoetida and boil further.

Add the prepared paste and a little water too.

Add cooked daal(with a wire whisk/buttermilk churner beat it well)adding required water to get a consistency and bring to a good boil and cook stirring in bewteen as daal sticks to the bottom of the pot.

Thursday, 2 July 2015

Rasam is nothing but a South Indian spicy/tangy soup.It may or may not be prepared using tuvar daal(split pigeon peas).There are countless ways of preparing rasam.Some recipes call of tuvar daal while some don't .It can be slightly thinner than sambhar or runny like water and goes well served with steamed white rice or can be just had like a soup.Here goes a wonderful recipe using freshly prepared masala with spices that has its freshness infused in the rasam.I came across this beautiful recipe from my friend Sushma Mallya(authenticfooddelights.blogspot.uk) and tried it.We all liked it very much and thank you Sushma for this aromatic rasam.Ingredients:Tomatoes (large) 2 nos

Toor dal 6 tbsp

Turmeric(haldi) 1/4 tsp Water 1 .5 cups plus a little more

Coconut grated 1tbsp

Salt to taste

For Masala:

Dhania(coriander seeds) 2 tbsp.

Jeera (Cumin seeds) 1/4 tsp

Methi (fenugreek Seeds) 1 /4 tsp

Black Pepper 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp

Red chillies ( bydagi) 3

Jaggery 1/2tsp

Tamarind Size of a small cherry

Oil 1tsp(for roasting the masala ingredients)

For Seasoning:

Ghee(clarified butter) 1tspMustard seeds 1/2tspCurry leaves 7-8

Asafoetida(hing) a generous pinch

A few strands of fresh chopped green coriander for garnish.

Method:

Pressure cook dal with tomato (whole) and haldi for 2 whistles and keep aside. Now mash this well and keep aside.